Chapter 13

*WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH*

Batcave (MU)

Batman pulled into the Batcave, parking the Batmobile on the turnstile before climbing out. He pulled his cowl off to rest against his back as he made his way to the platform to type his reports from patrol. It had been a slow evening mostly in part because he had been taking out his anger and frustration on the criminals who polluted the streets of Gotham.

It did have its advantages. He was able to return to the cave earlier than expected tonight, giving him extra time to work on finding Diana. While he didn't possess the technology that Lord Batman did, he was still trying to do as much as possible to help him.

He spotted the transporter that he and Tim had finished last night, his spirits rising knowing that he finally had the means to bring her home. Now, they just had to find her. He'd already started trying to come up with a way to help search the various universes. Unfortunately, it was going to be a laborious undertaking that would takes months, but he wasn't giving up.

Taking the steps two at a time, Batman spotted a thermos of coffee already awaiting is arrival home. He immediately reached for it, needing the caffeine if he was going to be doing research. He quickly downed a cup before starting up his computer system.

Settling into his chair with his second cup of coffee, he began to type up his file on the Riddler, needing to update some information he'd discovered tonight. He was soon interrupted by an incoming call, one that had his heart racing in anticipation. He quickly punched the button to accept the call.

"I found her," Lord Batman greeted him, a grim expression on his face.

"Is she safe? Is she all right?" he demanded to know.

"Yes, but—"

"Send me the coordinates," Batman stated, pulling his cowl back over his face in preparation for the mission of his life.

"Bruce, wait," Lord Batman sternly said with a measure of urgency lacing his voice. "There's something you should—"

"Not now," Batman growled. "I need to bring her back."

"You need to know—"

"Send me the coordinates. Batman out."

Batman immediately ended the transmission without another word, waiting anxiously for the coordinates to be sent to him so he could go after her. His heart hammered beneath his breastbone, apprehension growing with every passing moment.

He was finally going to get her back and bring her home where she belonged.

Gotham (AU)

Diana couldn't stop laughing as Ollie regaled them with one story after another about Bruce during their childhood and all the trouble the pair had gotten into as kids. Bruce was doing his best to intervene with explanations and excuses as to why they had gotten into so much trouble which only seemed to make it all the more amusing.

"Don't listen to him, Diana," Ollie insisted, waving a dismissive hand at Bruce. "Listen to me. I'm telling you the whole truth."

Bruce shook his head as he reached for his glass of wine. "Whatever," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You only make everything sound so much worse than it actually was. You have a definite flare for the dramatic, Ollie."

"I think the truth lies somewhere between both of your versions of the story," Dinah readily decided, finishing her crème brulee.

"I agree with Dinah," Diana replied, hiding a grimace as a cramp suddenly assaulted her.

The cramping had gotten better after the other day, but now it was back again making her more than a little worried about the baby. She was going to have to call Leslie in the morning to see if she could come in for a checkup just to make sure everything was all right.

She had a niggling feeling that something was wrong with the baby, but it was too painful to think about it. She silently prayed to her gods that they would protect her baby girl, a wave of concern washing over her as her hand fell to her abdomen in an attempt to comfort and soothe her unborn child.

The last eight months had been difficult for her with losing her gifts, not being able to be Wonder Woman…finding out that she likely would never be able to return home to her friends and family. Now, there could possibly be something wrong with their baby.

She took a drink of her ice water, more than relieved when the cramping finally passed. "Are you okay, Diana?" Dinah asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Just a little tired."

"It's getting late," Bruce decided as he stood to his feet. "We should probably head home."

"Bruce, I'm fine…really," she tried to assure him.

"Wow…it is getting late," Ollie agreed as he glanced at his watch, standing to his feet as well. "Dinah and I have to get up early tomorrow morning. We're meeting with the wedding coordinator that I hired to plan our wedding for us."

"I'm getting so excited," Dinah said. "I can hardly wait to get married."

"So, are you two going to get married?" Ollie asked. "We could have a double wedding."

Diana looked at Bruce, the anger and hurt in his eyes unmistakable to her as he spoke. "We're taking things slow right now," he told them with a forced smile. "We're still trying to adjust to having a baby."

"I imagine it is quite a life-changer," Dinah agreed. "Your lives will never be the same once the baby is here. Trying to add a wedding into the mix would be a nightmare."

Diana glanced at Bruce as the other three began to talk about the baby, knowing that he wanted to get married. They hadn't spoken about it since the other night when he'd first told her about his desire to marry her. She knew that she had hurt him by not wanting to discuss it, but she just couldn't deal with it right now.

There was no guarantee that she was going to stay in this universe forever. While there was no hope of getting home right now, there was still a chance of something working out in the future. She wasn't ready to make a commitment like that to Bruce when a part of her heart still belonged to the Bruce in her world.

"Let's get you home," Bruce murmured as he took her hand in his, drawing her out of her reverie.

"You two are so adorable together," Dinah gushed. "I can hardly wait till the baby comes. She's going to be absolutely beautiful."

"Don't get any ideas yet, Dinah," Ollie told her as they followed Bruce and Diana out of the restaurant. "Let's get through the wedding first before we even think about having any children."

"We'll see you guys later," Bruce said, waving goodbye to them.

"Do you want us to take you to your car?" Ollie offered.

"No, we're fine," Diana reassured them.

"We're just parked a few blocks down the street," Bruce replied. "It's a beautiful night. I think we'll walk."

"Call me, Diana," Dinah told her. "We'll meet for lunch."

"Sounds good," she agreed.

Bruce and Diana walked away hand in hand, enjoying the night sky filled with billions of stars. It was getting cooler, autumn definitely in the air. The wind suddenly blew at that moment, causing the ends of Diana's hair to whip. She gathered it in her hand, pulling it over her shoulder as they continued to walk in silence.

Bruce glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, knowing they really needed to talk. "Are we going to talk about it or just continue to pretend that it never happened?" he asked, a definite edge to his voice.

Diana sighed as she pulled her hand free from his to cross her arms against her chest. "I'm not mad at you, Bruce," she confessed. "The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt you when we first got involved and now that's exactly what I'm doing."

"You're not hurting me, Diana," he insisted with a scowl, his frustration more than evident.

"Yes, I am hurting you," she stated. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. I should have left soon after I found you. I never should've stayed or allowed myself to fall for you."

Bruce huffed in annoyance, averting his eyes as they walked. "I shouldn't have said anything about wanting to get married. I know it's too soon to be talking about marriage, but it's just a natural next step when a couple is having a baby. I guess a part of me hoped that you would change your mind about wanting to return home now that we're having a baby together."

"I'm still trying to accept the fact that I can't return home to the people I love…to Themyscira to my mother and sisters," she admitted. "It's been more difficult than I'd thought that it would be. I feel like I've lost everything, including a part of myself. I feel like I've lost my way."

"Plus, finding out we're having a baby now only added to it all," he added.

"I've always wanted to have a child of my own someday," she admitted. "I just hadn't anticipated it happening so soon or quite like this. It's been a difficult adjustment especially given our special circumstances."

"I'm sorry I upset you," he softly said. "It was the last thing I wanted to do."

"I know," she murmured with a gentle smile. "I'm not saying no to getting married to her someday. I'm just asking that we take this slow and see where it takes us."

"You're still holding out hope of being rescued…of someone being able to help you return home," he knowingly said with a hint of bitterness in his voice, his jaw clenching.

Diana's eyes momentarily closed as the cramping returned. "I'm sorry, Bruce," she whispered. "I still want to be able to return home. I haven't given up on that."

He had known the countless risks of getting involved with her…knew that she was in love with his twin back in her universe. Still, he hadn't been able to stop his heart from falling for her. He had been completely truthful when he'd told her that her happiness meant more to him than his own. Still, it was proving more difficult than he'd ever dreamed possible. He'd been fooling himself into thinking he could let her go.

"So, what does that mean for us?" he ventured, bracing himself for the worse.

Diana stopped, turning to face him. "I have no idea, Bruce," she sadly replied, her eyes brimming with tears as her bottom lip began to tremble.

Bruce stared at her, feeling as though his life was unraveling before his very eyes. He pulled her into his arms, holding her close as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. He held her in his protective embrace as she cried, sharing in her hurt. He'd tried so hard to love her without being consumed by it and yet he'd failed miserably. She had come to mean everything to him.

How could he not love her with his entire being? He'd never met another woman like her, and he knew that he never would.

Diana could feel her heart breaking, the full weight of the utter chaos that she had created by allowing herself to fall for him hitting her like a ton of bricks. She never should have made love with him, giving herself to him and creating a baby together. How could she have let this happen…allowing herself to get wrapped up in him and this world that wasn't her own?

She had allowed herself to believe him when he'd told her that they could take whatever time they were allowed together. She'd wanted so badly to believe that everything would work out…that she could have what she'd wanted for so long without facing consequences for her actions.

They could enjoy each other's company, sharing his bed without any worries while satisfying a growing desire that refused to be ignored any longer. They could just go on with their lives without cost though it would hurt her heart in the end to leave him. Instead, she'd gotten pregnant, making everything so much more complicated.

What happened here was supposed to stay in this world, never to cross universes…or so she had believed. It was like she was living in a dream world where everything was seemingly perfect…where she could have all that she'd ever wanted. But memories of home…memories of family and friends and a man who had always possessed her heart kept reminding her that this was just a different universe where she didn't really belong.

How had her life become so complicated?

Bruce tightened his hold on her, tilting his head to kiss the top of hers. "I love you, Diana," he murmured in her hair. "I never meant to make things harder for you. I'll do whatever you want to do."

"I love you too," she replied, pulling back to gaze into his piercing blue eyes that were so familiar to her. Her heart ached for the man that she'd left behind as she stared at the man who had unexpectedly swept her off her feet. "Nothing has to be decided tonight or even tomorrow. Let's just enjoy each day that we have together and look forward to meeting our baby girl."

His lips curled with her suggestion, a flood of relief washing over him. She wasn't giving up on them just yet and he'd never give up on her. "I think that's a great idea," he agreed, his lips claiming hers.

Diana returned his kiss only to suddenly break away with a sharp gasp, her hands moving to her abdomen. "Bruce, I think we need to call Leslie," she said, fear swimming in her eyes.

"Hang on, Diana," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he began to lead her to the car. "I'm taking you to the emergency room."

"Isn't this sweet?"

Bruce and Diana stopped short, stunned to find a large man with a gun standing in their path. "Please, I have to get her to the doctor," Bruce pleaded with the man. "She's pregnant and—"

"Do I look like I care?" the man spat out with disdain brewing in his dark eyes. "Give me your wallet and your watch."

Bruce quickly pulled Diana behind him, determined to keep the robber's attention off of her. "I'll give you anything you want," he calmly told him, holding a hand up in front of him. "Just please don't hurt us."

"I ain't promising nothing," he snapped, waving his gun at Bruce. "Just hurry up."

"Bruce," Diana murmured his name as she doubled over in pain. She suddenly felt something wet between her thighs, causing her panic to swell. She was losing the baby.

"Look, honey," the robber growled. "Let me finish with him and then I'm going to take my time having my way with you."

"You aren't going to lay a finger on her," Bruce ground out with a snarl, knowing that Diana and their baby was in trouble. He needed to do something to end this now.

"You don't get to tell me what to do," he snarled as Bruce suddenly lunged at him, grabbing for the gun.

Diana screamed in horror as the robber fired his gun, hitting Bruce directly in the chest. She was incapable of doing anything to help him as the pain in her abdomen dropped her to her knees. The robber stared her down for a long moment before turning and attempting to run away. The Joker showed up at that moment, delivering a right hook that sent the robber reeling backwards into a brick wall.

"No!" Diana screamed as she crawled over to Bruce, gathering him up in her arms.

Behind them, a bright light appeared as a portal opened up, Batman walking through it to find Diana on the ground with a man who looked identical to him in her arms. She was sobbing uncontrollably, her breaths coming in hiccoughing pulls for air as she held him.

"Take care…of Jacey," Bruce whispered to Diana, his bloody hand coming up to cup her cheek. "You're so…beautiful."

"No! Bruce…please…don't leave me," she uttered with a shuddering gasp, her tears wetting his face.

"It's okay, Diana," he reassured her with a weak smile. "I don't regret…one moment…of knowing or loving you."

"Don't do this…please," Diana pleaded through her tears.

"Never forget…how much…I love you," he murmured as his eyes fell closed for the final time.

Heart-wrenching sobs filled the air as he drew his final breath, Diana clutching him to her chest as she pressed her face into his neck. The pain of her heart breaking paled in comparison to the pain in her abdomen. She knew in her heart that she'd just lost them both, the heartache overwhelming her.

Batman stared in stunned disbelief, unsure of whether to go after the Joker or get Diana out of here. The sight of her so stricken with grief over his doppelgänger's death had seemingly sucked all the air out of his lungs. It was obvious they loved each other, causing his jealousy to spike painfully over a man who was, in all intents and purposes, him.

The pain of it was swiftly forgotten as Joker slowly made his way towards Diana, drawing closer to her as well only to stop short as the Joker spoke. "I'm so sorry I didn't get here in time," he told her with a gentleness that was so surreal to hear from the psychotic clown. He watched in shock as the Joker knelt down next to Diana, placing a hand on her back as he lowered his head. "I'll never forgive myself for not being able to prevent his death. Bruce Wayne was a very good man…Gotham's best."

"It's not your fault," Diana murmured as she finally pulled back to gently caress Bruce's face. There was such a peaceful expression on his face, one that she'd seen countless times in his sleep.

Joker looked up at Batman with a questioning look, unsure what to make of the unexpected visitor. "Diana," Batman softly spoke her name. "It's time to go home."

Diana froze with the sound of the all too familiar rasping voice that she'd needed to hear for so long now. She slowly lifted her head, turning to look over her shoulder at the Dark Knight standing behind her. She could hardly believe that he was actually here. He had come for her…refused to believe that she had died.

"Bruce…" she whispered his name as tears continued to stream down her face, her breathing erratic as her two worlds collided right before her very eyes.

The blood on her face and on her shirt had Batman's heart hammering with dread, worried about how much was this Bruce's and how much of it was hers. It wasn't until she finally released the dead man in her arms and slowly stood to her feet that his heart stuttered out of rhythm with what he discovered.

Diana was pregnant.

He was frozen in utter shock, his heart lodged in his throat. He was stunned speechless by her unexpected condition but even more so by the blood that had seeped onto her pants between her legs. She immediately doubled over in pain again, crying out as she dropped to her knees once more.

Seeing her in trouble, Batman finally regained his senses, rushing to her side. He gently picked her up in arms, holding her protectively against his chest. "I'm here, Diana," he murmured before racing back through the portal that had brought him to this world, leaving the Joker with a murdered Bruce Wayne in his wake.

Watchtower (MU)

Batman paced back and forth like a caged panther desperately seeking a way of escape, his gauntlets tucked into his utility belt and his cowl against his back. His mind was locked in a vicious cycle, replaying the events of what he'd just experienced over and over again without end.

What was supposed to have been a happy reunion had been a gut-wrenching encounter that had caused a sharp ache to invade his chest. He felt absolutely gutted by what he had witnessed in the other universe. It had been nothing like what he had dreamed it would be.

He rubbed his face with his hands, trying frantically to erase the images that would haunt him for the rest of his life. It had been beyond surreal to appear in a different dimension to see one's self lying dying on the ground in the arms of the woman he loved, a victim of a robbery gone wrong.

It rang achingly close to his parents' murders, making it even more incredible than it already was. He'd always assumed that he would die young because of his nighttime activities, fearing that one day he would be a step too slow or his reaction time a second too sluggish.

The resulting death would cut his life far too short, but he'd accepted that risk long ago in order to keep a promise to his murdered parents. It was one of the reasons why he didn't want to become romantically involved with anyone to the point of making a lifelong commitment. There was no lifelong for him…no happily-ever-after. There was the mission and then there was death.

That was until he'd met Diana.

"I can't believe Diana's pregnant," Clark murmured from his seat against the wall in the infirmary of the Watchtower privately reserved for Founders. "It doesn't make any sense. She was only gone for a little over a month, Bruce. How could she be that far along?"

"I don't know," Batman coolly stated, doing his best to keep the mass of warring emotions inside of him at bay. He felt the overwhelming need to beat something. "The universe she was in may have moved at a faster rate than ours."

"I wonder how long she was in that world then," Clark replied.

"Well obviously for at least four months," Batman snapped, not pausing in his pacing and not really wanting to discuss this anymore.

Seeing Diana pregnant with another man's baby had been devastating for him to discover. The fact that it was another version of him that had gotten her pregnant only helped to ease the pain minutely. She had still been with another man…a man that wasn't him.

But could he really blame her though after the things that he'd said to her?

"Look, Bruce, I know this isn't easy for you," Superman began, standing to his feet.

"Don't, Clark," Bruce growled, holding up a hand to stop him from going any farther. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Yah…sure," he murmured, returning to his seat. "It's just so unbelievable."

No more was said, neither looking at the other. Clark could see how upset Bruce was by all that he'd witnessed despite doing his best to hide it. He couldn't imagine going after Lois in another dimension to find her pregnant. It would have killed him inside and yet, could anyone really blame Diana for trying to make a life for herself?

If Diana had been there for several months or even years, she had probably lost hope of trying to find a way back home. She was doing what she could, trying to make a life for herself. His heart ached for her and how lost she must have felt being in a whole new world.

"I hope Diana and the baby are going to be all right," Clark said, glancing over at Bruce who didn't respond. "I'm glad that she was able to find a version of you in that other dimension. He must have been a great comfort to her."

Bruce snorted as he crossed his arms against his chest. He ground his teeth in anger as he struggled against his jealousy. "Obviously," he spat out, wanting to know what exactly had happened to her in that other world.

"I know this is difficult for you, Bruce, but let's reserve passing any judgement until we find out what happened to her in that world," Clark sternly stated. "We have no idea what she went through there."

He bowed his head, knowing that Clark was right, but at the same time, he didn't know if he could handle hearing it. How could he sit there listening to how she fell in love with another man…another version of himself? It was obvious that the other Bruce was willing to give her what he had refused her.

What other similarities or differences did they possess? What did he have that attracted her to him? Was it something that he didn't possess?

He knew now what Lord Batman had been trying to tell him before he'd transported to that other universe. He'd been trying to forewarn him that Diana was pregnant and in a relationship with that Bruce Wayne. The information wouldn't have changed his need to bring her home, but he would've been better prepared for what he found when he'd arrived there.

"Was Joker really a hero in that world?" Clark asked.

Bruce turned to look at him, the look on his face revealing just how rattled he was by what he'd seen and experienced. It was unsettling to Clark to witness it in someone who almost always kept his emotions locked away and his features unreadable. There was a haunted look in his eyes that seemed to make them darker, an unnerved expression momentarily flitting across his face.

"I still wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself," he admitted. "It was so bizarre seeing him standing there apologizing to Diana for not getting there in time to save Bruce. It was something that I'd said before to other victims. To hear it coming from his mouth…"

Bruce's voice trailed off with a haunting tone as J'onn appeared from Diana's room. Clark immediately stood to his feet, his stomach in his boots with what the Martian Manhunter was about to tell them. It was difficult to ascertain anything from his demeanor, but he had a feeling it wasn't going to be good.

"I'm afraid Diana lost the baby," J'onn stoically stated. "From what I've been able to determine, she never would've been able to carry the baby to full term. It was only a matter of time before she lost it."

"Why?" Clark questioned him, his heart aching for her.

"Diana didn't belong in that other world…wasn't a part of it," J'onn attempted to explain. "The Bruce of that world and Diana's make up were not compatible. They never would've been able to conceive a child together."

"Do you think it could be due to the fact that the time stream of that universe moved at a faster rate than ours?" Bruce asked.

"That would be my best guess," J'onn confirmed. "It would also help to explain why she lost her abilities in that universe, but she seems to have recovered them now that she's home."

"Is she all right?" Bruce softly asked.

"She's pretty traumatized by what she experienced," he told him. "I sedated her. She'll sleep for several hours, but she will make a full recovery."

"She shouldn't stay up here on the Watchtower," Clark adamantly decided. "She needs someplace where she can take the time that she needs to fully recover both physically and emotionally."

"I completely agree," J'onn replied. "She needs to be away from prying eyes and questioning looks from her teammates. I'm putting her on immediate leave until further notice. She'll have to go through a complete psychological review before I can reinstate her."

"Can she stay at the manor with you?" Clark asked, looking to Bruce. "I mean she could stay with Lois and me at our apartment, but it's already pretty cramped and we're hardly ever home."

Bruce looked up sharply, his piercing blue eyes narrowing. "Do you really think that's a good idea after what she's already been through?" he growled. "She was with Bruce Wayne…probably staying at the manor. Won't it just remind her of what she's just lost?"

"It might also bring her a measure of comfort being around familiarity," J'onn added. "I believe that it would be the ideal place for her to be right now."

Clark nodded his head in agreement. "Not to mention, Alfred would be the perfect person to help her recover. They've been close for a long time. I think he would be a great comfort to her."

Bruce sighed heavily, unsure of what to do. He wanted her to stay with him because he loved her, but at the same time, how was he going to be able to handle having the woman he loved living in his home after everything that had happened between her and the other Bruce? He was still reeling from the revelation, trying desperately to find some sort of footing right now.

Clark made his way to Bruce, placing his hand on his shoulder. "I think it would be good for the both of you, Bruce," he gently said. "It's obvious that what you experienced has upset you as well. It'll give you both time to heal from all of this."

Bruce jerked away from Clark, glaring darkly at his friend. "I have nothing to heal from," he insisted with an unemotional tone that he often adapted to give the appearance of full control. "I'm perfectly fine. Diana is the one we need to focus on right now, not me."

"Bruce, don't do this," Clark countered. "Don't pretend like you're fine when you're the furthest thing from—"

"I'll call Alfred and let him know that Diana will be coming to stay at the manor for the time being," Bruce stated.

J'onn and Clark watched as Bruce pulled his cowl back over his face before stalking out of the infirmary. "He's not going to handle this well at all," Clark to him. "This could turn out to be a complete disaster."

"I think it will do them both some good to spend some time together," J'onn readily decided. "They've both been traumatized by recent events but in very different ways. I believe in time they'll realize just how much they need each other now more than ever."

"Good luck trying to convince him of that," Clark muttered under his breath as he walked away, praying that Bruce didn't run away from all of this.

Secret Society (MU)

"If Grodd doesn't have something good this time, I'm outta here and I ain't coming back," Copperhead declared with a hiss.

"It had better not be another stupid plan like the fake gun," Killer Frost snapped. "That was lame."

"Yah, I almost goy nabbed," Copperhead groused.

"You're lucky I stopped long enough to save your sorry—" Grodd growled as he entered the room, only to be interrupted by a furious Copperhead.

"Because of you, I almost ended up back in prison!" he yelled.

"Sit down and shut up," Grodd ordered him.

"You had better have something good this time or I'm out of this mess of a society," Sinestro threatened.

"You're not going anywhere," Grodd stated, glaring at each one of them. "You're all in this until I say you are out…or until I eliminate you myself."

Everyone stared at Grodd in various stages of shock and fury, but they kept their mouths shut. They weren't about to try to cross him or they might end up dead or displaced to another universe like Wonder Woman. It was a risk they weren't willing to take.

"Good," Grodd said with a gleam in his charcoal black eyes and a smirk on his face. "Now that I have all of your attention, I'd like to reveal my new and improved weapon."

"Does it actually work?" Giganta asked.

"Of course, it works," he grumbled in annoyance. "It works even better than the last one."

"How so?" Shade questioned him.

"Because I helped him design it."

Everyone froze at the all too familiar voice that belonged to the unexpected appearance of Lex Luthor. "Luthor?" Clayface yelled. "You brought in Lex Luthor to help you? Are you crazy?"

"Crazy like a fox," Grodd uttered with a wicked grin as Luthor joined him at the head of the table.

A/N: Don't kill me but this was the only way to fix everything. :(

UP NEXT: Diana struggles to cope with the loss while Bruce struggles to come to terms with Diana's choices.

NOTE: Evidently there's been some confusion and complaints here about some things. Hope this helps clear it up.

Diana: The focus of this fic is Diana, the choices she makes, the consequences of those choices, and how she struggles to finds her way back to being herself once more. Diana is not WW in this other world, therefore she is going to be un-Wonder Woman like. She has no powers, is not part of the JA there, and is not who she once was. Therefore, she is not going to act like her usual WW self. She has lost her way and is struggling to find her footing. She finds herself being forced to live like a regular woman with no hope of returning home. In later chapters, we'll see her work to reclaim her identity once more.

AU Bruce: Yes, he is very sweet. Yes, he is similar to Clark. I wrote it that way for a reason. Just because he is sweet and is not like MU Bruce does not mean that Diana can't fall in love with him. The idea of multiple universes is that there are millions of different versions of our beloved characters. in this universe, this is how I chose to write this Bruce. I didn't take the time to explore his character or to write him in other situations that would show his anger or his brooding or other aspects of his personality b/c I wanted to keep things moving towards MU Bruce and Diana's reunion. That is why I focused most of his time on being with Diana.

MU Bruce: Yes, this is going to devastate him, but it will not break him. He is very strong with a formidable will and has endured so much trauma over his life. Diana still holds his heart. Yes, it's broken, but Bruce and Diana will heal together and in that healing, they'll find a new level of closeness and a bond that can't be broken. That's what I wanted to focus the rest of this fic on because it's going to be so beautiful to explore and watch develop.

Thank you for your continued support! Love you all! :)